Malappuram: The Areekode police have arrested two individuals for smuggling 196 grams of MDMA in a joint operation with the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF). The accused, Azeez alias Arabi Azeez from Oorngattiri and Shameer Babu from Edavanna, were apprehended on Wednesday at Thekkin Chuvattil of Pallippadi in Pathanapuram near Areekode.

The police also seized vehicles allegedly used for transporting the illicit substance. The MDMA was reportedly smuggled from Bengaluru for sale in Kerala. The arrests were made when the suspects were caught red-handed packing the drugs for distribution.

The DANSAF team had been monitoring Arabi Azeez for several days. After acting on a tip-off about drug trafficking in the district, the police set a trap for him. When Azeez’s vehicle arrived in Thekkin Chuvattil, officers intercepted it and conducted a thorough inspection. Though the accused resisted arrest, the police managed to subdue them. A physical examination of the two accused was conducted in the presence of Eranad Tehsildar M Mukundan.

Following their arrest, the duo was produced before the Manjeri court and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigations are underway to trace the racket behind the two accused.

According to the Areekode police, Azeez has a history of multiple drug-related offences. They also revealed that just days before his arrest, he had called the Areekode police station to file a complaint against local residents involved in anti-drug activities, accusing them of moral policing. Officials believe he was frustrated by the community’s efforts to curb drug sales in the area.